Georgetown-Rowley State Forest
Nature preserve
411 acres8.5 mi of trail
BCTEastsideLittle WingTunnel Vision+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Rowley
36% of Rowley’s land is conserved: 4,205 acres
2,262 acres are parks and preserves, 362 per 1,000 residents. 30 miles of mapped trail cross Rowley, 1.6 per square mile of land. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #60 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
4,205 acres · of 18.2 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,262 ac
362 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
253 ft
Prospect Hill
Lakes & rivers
13
1 beach · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Rowley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild36% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam362 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 90% of U.S. towns.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rowley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rowley is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #60 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rowley’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land362 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,262 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 79%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Rowley’s 36% is ahead of 84% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 35% of them.
Water is 11% of Rowley’s area (2 of 20 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 32%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
1,024 acres2.9 mi of trail
Boardwalk Trail LoopDunes SpurForested Wetland SpurNorth Pool Dike+1
No dogs
Directionsto Lot 9
Dodge Reservation
Managed by Essex County Greenbelt
169 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
William Forward Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
646 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hunsley Hills Conservation Area
Nature preserve
101 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
254 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Prospect Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
90 acres1.3 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Prospect Hill Parking- Bay Circuit Trail
Arthur Ewell Reservation
Nature preserve
31 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 46 parks & preserves
Georgetown-Rowley State Forest411 acres · 8.5 mi of trail
DirectionsParker River National Wildlife Refuge1,024 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsDodge Reservation169 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsWilliam Forward Wildlife Management Area646 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHunsley Hills Conservation Area101 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary254 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsProspect Hill Conservation Area90 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsArthur Ewell Reservation31 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAlexander Salt Marsh101 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt Association
DirectionsPingree Farm Conservation Area67 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMerrill Saltmarsh28 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Smith Lane Conservation Area58 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Stackyard Road24 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWillowdale State Forest93 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Eiras Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Great Swamp Brook107 acres
Bradstreet Farm Conservation Area103 acres
Great Marsh North Wildlife Management Area77 acres
DirectionsTown Conservation Land75 acres
Conservation Land50 acres
Bean Salt Marsh39 acres
Wild Pastures Open Space33 acres
Town Landing Conservation Area25 acres · Town of Rowley Conservation Commission
Anderson Salt Marsh21 acres
Sandy Bridge20 acres
Minister's Woodlot18 acres
Laws Point15 acres
Oyster Point15 acres
DirectionsWilson Pond11 acres
Club Head Creek/Bowlen Saltmarsh9 acres
Haskell-Hart Reservation9 acres
Club Head Creek Reservation9 acres
Elwell8 acres
Batchelder's Landing7 acres
DirectionsRough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Sawyer's Island)7 acres
Barton/Humphreys7 acres
Baker-Stockbridge Saltmarsh6 acres
Shad Creek6 acres
Pulsifer Marsh & Camp5 acres
Mill River4 acres
Giovino Lot3 acres
Town Common2 acres
DirectionsRawls Salt Marsh1 acres
Chandlers Far Division1 acres
DirectionsStackyard Lot1 acres
Ox Pasture Brook1 acres
Who protects it
4,205 conserved acres
36% of Rowley’s land. Water is left out: Rowley has 18.2 square miles of land and 2.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Rowley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,057 ac
Town or city553 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits532 ac
State parks383 ac
State conservation206 ac
State natural resources116 ac
State fish & wildlife106 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 2,057 acConservation Easement · 1,282 acState Conservation Area · 1,046 acState Resource Management Area · 605 acLocal Other or Unknown · 338 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 939 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 15 of 213 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,057 | Restricted |
| William Forward Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 470 | Open |
| Georgetown-Rowley State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 424 | Open |
| Great Marsh North Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 161 | Open |
| Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 132 | Unknown |
| Hunsley Hills Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 102 | Open |
| Willowdale State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 91 | Open |
| Bay Circuit Trail State Resource Management Area | State parks | 84 | Open |
| Smith Lane Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 58 | Open |
| Mill River Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 53 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Rowley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rowley
The Knobbs
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Rowley
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Rowley
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Rowley
Marsh OverlookIn Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsObservation TowerIn Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsOcean OverlookIn Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Rowley
Prospect Hill253 ft elevation · In Prospect Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsOx Pasture Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsHunsley Hills157 ft elevation · In Hunsley Hills Conservation Area
DirectionsSmith Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Rowley
Camp Cedar Mill
DirectionsTrails & water
13 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.5 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 16.9 mi
BCT1.4 mi
Eastside0.7 mi
Bay Circuit Trail0.6 mi
Boardwalk Trail Loop0.6 mi
Little Wing0.6 mi
Tunnel Vision0.4 mi
Beaver Stalagmites0.4 mi
Twisted Kangaroo0.2 mi
Swamp Dodger0.2 mi
Dunes Spur0.1 mi
3 more trails
Forested Wetland Spur
0.1 miNorth Pool Dike
0.1 miMarsh Spur
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
6Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Rowley: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 45 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Rowley →
Next door
Rowley and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowley | 36% | 1.6 | 362 | 94% | A+ |
| Newbury | 51% | 2.1 | 689 | 98% | A+ |
| Ipswich | 51% | 3.2 | 316 | 98% | A+ |
| Georgetown | 26% | 3.4 | 230 | 95% | A+ |
| Boxford | 24% | 3.5 | 307 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rowley
Where can I hike in Rowley?
The longest trail networks: Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, 8.5 miles; Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, 2.9 miles; Dodge Reservation, 2.5 miles; William Forward Wildlife Management Area, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rowley is conserved land?
36% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Rowley’s trails?
Georgetown-Rowley State Forest and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Rowley?
48,709 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rowley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,766 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Rowley have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rowley neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →